Partners's Best Friend
by applesandcherries
Summary: Castle decides it is time for him to get a dog. And he wouldn't be Castle, if he didn't get his partner roped into his idea, would he?
1. Prologue

Title: Partners's Best Friend

Author: applesandcherries | phoenix-cry

Rating: K+ (for now)

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine. I just own the laptop this was written on.

A/N: This came to me while I was trying to fall asleep, around 1am in the morning. Thank you, brain. Also, thanks to pealee for reading this over for me. :)

Summary: Castle decides it is time for him to get a dog. And he wouldn't be Castle if he didn't get his partner roped into his idea, would he?

* * *

She glanced up from her paperwork from time to time, only to check that he was still there. She wasn't used to him being silent for more than five minutes at a time, and by now, he hadn't made a sound in – she consulted her father's watch – twelve minutes.

It was creeping her out.

As if reading her thoughts, he made a triumphant noise and looked up from his iPhone, grinning, before holding it out for her to see.

"How about this one?" he asked, as if they had just had a conversation for the past few minutes and she had any clue about was he was talking about. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him and peered at the tiny screen instead.

"Looks cute, Castle. What's it for? Does Rook get a pet?"

He shook his head, still grinning. "Nope, but I might!"

"You? Really? You wanna get a dog?"

He frowned at her. "Don't sound so shocked. I took good care of Royal, didn't I?"

"If you call feeding him a huge steak regularly 'taking good care', then yes, you certainly did."

"Hey!" he protested. "I only did that once! Once is not 'regularly', Beckett!"

Kate held up her hands in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. Calm down. Geez." She sighed and dropped her pen on her desk, leaning back in her chair. She had a feeling this was going to be a longer conversation, so she might as well get comfortable. "So, what made you suddenly decide to get a dog? A golden retriever, no less?"

Castle shrugged, his grin returning when he saw that he had her attention. "I've always wanted one, but when I was a kid, we were constantly moving in order to further Mother's career, or I was stuck in boarding school, no pets allowed. And as an adult, I guess I just never got around to it. And ever since our short stint as dog sitters, the wish has returned full force. Also, don't say anything about Retrievers – they're very loyal creatures. Just like me," he stated.

Kate pondered him seriously. "I dunno, Castle. I've always thought of you more as a Jack Russell Terrier type. Loud, obnoxious and with too much energy to sit still for long." She had to try really hard not to laugh out loud at the affronted look on his face.

"That's not a very nice thing to say about your partner, detective."

"But true."

He pouted at her and she finally let her teasing smile filter through her poker face. "Oh, cheer up, Castle, I'm just messing with ya! You're slightly less annoying now."

"Ha, ha. You know, under these circumstances, I don't feel fully appreciated by you. I will now get myself another coffee, and I may not feel inclined to bring you one." With those words, he got up and stuffed his phone back into his pocket, marching off in the direction of the break room.

Watching him go, a fond look in her eyes, she hid a smile behind her hand. _Well,_ she thought, _this ought to be interesting. _

Returning her attention to her paperwork, she couldn't suppress the smile that graced her face a few minutes later, when she saw two coffee mugs appear in the periphery of her vision. Looking up at him, just as he settled back in his chair, she raised a questioning eyebrow at him.

He shrugged, sheepish. "Didn't feel right to just make one cup," her partner explained, before burrowing his nose back in his phone, continuing his search for a suitable dog.

To be honest, she could really see him with a Golden Retriever – loyal, friendly, intelligent and good with kids. It was so him. The thought alone warmed her heart. Still smiling, she went back to finish the last few forms from their latest case. When she was done, she could maybe get away with asking him to get an early dinner together.

* * *

_A/N2: This is just a short prologue. Chapter 1 is already written, so let me know what you think and it might motivate me to get a headstart on chapter 2. :)_


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Thanks so much, everyone, for the many alerts and favorites this little story has gotten so far. Also many thanks to those of you who have taken the time to leave a review. I love reading what you guys think of this! :)

* * *

As it turned out, they did get dinner together, just not the way she imagined. Not that she was complaining.

Slouching back against the soft cushions of his couch, a glass of red wine lazily held in her hand and his delicious homemade pasta carbonara leaving a pleasant warmth in her belly, she watched as he excitedly scribbled down a list of all the things he needed, or thought he needed (a cowboy hat and matching boots? Really?), for his dog – the dog he had not even found yet – and at the same time animatedly chatted with her over his shoulder, throwing ideas for names around. She shuddered when she remembered his last suggestion (who in their right mind would ever call their dog _Jayne_? A male, no less. The poor guy was bound to be made fun of at the doggy daycare).

She sneaked a glance over his shoulder and could see that he had had already listed various toys – balls, more than even a child could go through in five years, a plush toy in the form of an alligator that squeaked when you sat or chewed on it (he had found that one online and had been much too excited about it for his own good. Or hers), various other chewing toys for the pup's teeth, a leash, a puppy bed and the rest swam in front of her eyes, duo to his handwriting.

"Oh, oh, I got it!" he exclaimed suddenly, just like he had done four times before. "Wash! I'm gonna call him Wash!"

Kate sighed and scratched her forehead in frustration. It was a slight improvement over Jayne, but still. She chose to stay quiet, letting her head fall back against the couch. At her continued silence, he glanced over his shoulder at her.

"No?" he asked and frowned at her when the only answer he got was a raised eyebrow. "What? It's a perfectly good name!"

"Sure, just like Marco Polo, Gandalf and Mr. Smith have been perfectly good names, Castle."

"You know, the least you could do, when I feed you a delicious meal over which I have slaved quite some time, is leave your sarcasm on the other side of the door."

"I don't think I'll be able to do that. You may just have to feed me on that side of the door, Castle."

He glared at her. "And what kind of a gentleman would I be then? That's not fair, using my finer qualities against me like that."

"Your gentlemanly qualities, huh? Well, I guess Martha did quite a good job with that," she admitted, her current smirk morphing into an affectionate smile. If that smile was directed at Martha or the man beside her, she wasn't sure. Probably both.

As if on cue, the woman in question danced through the front door in a twirl of oranges and olive greens. "Oh, darlings! Hello! Kate, dear, so good to see you again! Richard, you should have told me the good detective was coming over for dinner. I would have been here much earlier. And is that your carbonara I smell?" With those words, she followed her nose and strode into the kitchen. Finding a leftover of the meal caused her to rejoice with an enthusiastic "Oh, how wonderful!" before getting a plate and taking her fill. "Richard, where is some of that wine I saw the two of you- oh, never mind, I found it!"

Castle, meanwhile, only shook his head fondly at his mother's antics and went back to his list, while Kate watched the older woman over the back of the couch, fascinated. She had always quite enjoyed her company, so she was glad to see her return to the couch with her dinner. Taking a seat on the free space to Kate's left, she exclaimed, "So, darlings. What are you two up to?"

"Well, by the looks of it, Castle plans to buy a whole pack of puppies. At least that's what I gather from the never-ending list he's been scribbling on for the past 30 minutes."

The diva lifted an elegant eyebrow while she finished chewing her bite of the pasta. "A dog? Say what? Richard, dear, what are you up to, now?"

He barely glanced up from the paper in front of him when he answered. "Nothing extraordinary, mother. I just want to get a dog. Man's best friend, and all that?"

His mother took a sip of her wine while she considered him. "This doesn't have anything to do with Alexis soon going off to college, does it?"

Castle glared at her, as if put off by even the suggestion. "Of course not! I've just always wanted a dog. You of all people should know that, mother."

"Oh, I do, I do. But this wish hasn't reared its head since you were about twelve, or so. Excuse me for having my doubts."

He just huffed and continued with his list, ignoring her.

Martha exchanged a knowing look with the other woman in his life, who, only second to herself, probably knew him best. The detective just heaved a silent sigh, expressing her suffering at her partner's antics and shrugged. Just let him have this. What could it hurt, she seemed to say.

The older woman was inclined to agree.

"Sherlock!"

His sudden exclamation made both women jump, narrowly avoiding sloshing their wine.

"What?" Martha asked, starting to doubt her son's sanity.

"He's been doing this for the past hour," Kate whispered conspiratorially, "yelling possible names for the dog at random intervals. Frankly, I think he must have hit his head during the day, without me noticing."

The older woman snickered at this.

"Kate! Kate, have you been listening?" he was so excited, he had actually started bouncing in his seat. Kate hurriedly put her glass on the table to avoid a disaster, Martha shortly following her example.

"Yes, Castle. I think my ears will still be hearing that two weeks from now."

"But Kaaaate," he whined, "I've finally found the perfect name for our dog!"

Kate did a double take at this. "Woah, wait, back up a little. _Our_ dog?"

"Well, yes," he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and she was just being slow. "Why else have I been picking out names with you for the past hour?"

"Because you are bored and decided to take me into boredom with you? And insanity, apparently."

"But you want a dog. You said so yourself, remember? When we were gambling over who would get to doggy-sit Royal?"

"I remember, Castle. But what made you get the idea that _your _dog was suddenly _our_ dog? Did I miss signing some papers? Oh, God, did you also make me sell my soul? I _knew_ it was a bad idea to let you mess with those papers!"

"Woah, Beckett. Calm down. You neither sold your soul, nor your body. Although, if you want...you know you don't ever have to sell that, right? On second thought, you would probably make a fortune- Ow!" rubbing his arm where she had hit him, he withered a little when he met her glare.

"Will you focus, Castle? Geez. Gentlemanly qualities, my ass."

"Alright, alright. No need to get rough. Under other circumstances I would like-"

"Castle!"

"Ugh, fine! You're no fun tonight," he pouted, steadfastly ignoring his mother's amused smirk.

"Aaanyways, what do you think of Sherlock? It's_ perfect_, Beckett!"

She sighed again. "Yes, okay," she said hesitantly, "I have to admit that it is quite fitting. But I'm still not getting a dog with you, Castle!"

"Why not?" he sounded like a petulant child and yes, she found that quite adorable. If someone asked her to say that out loud, she would probably kick them in the shins. "That's what partners _do_!" he went on and she turned her thoughts from adorable writers to getting a dog with said writer.

"Oh, yeah. Partners, as in police-I-have-a-gun-and-you-have-a-pen, partners who go buy dogs together in order to take care of them – together? _That's_ what those kinds of partners do?"

He frowned at her. "Well, if you put it like that, I guess not. But we still could, right? Please say yes! Please, please, pleaaase, Kate?"

Ugh, she hated when he looked at her with those big puppy (heh, yeah) eyes. And using her given name like that? He was so not playing fair.

Sighing again, she leveled a halfhearted glare at him. "Castle, think about this logically. How would this work? Sharing a dog for a few days is different than making a decade long commitment. This is not like getting a hamster. Two years versus twelve is a mighty difference, Castle."

"I know that, Kate, but it's not like either of us is going anywhere, right?"

They both froze at his words – her because she had caught the subtext in his words and him because he kind of hoped she hadn't.

(Stupid, Rick. Way to spook her, idiot.)

Beside them, Martha was quietly amused at the deer-in-the-headlights look her son and his partner sported. "Oh, for heaven's sake," she finally exclaimed, breaking their trance. "You are both very smart individuals. I am sure you can figure this out and come to an agreement, eventually. Getting a dog is not higher mathematics, or at least it shouldn't be. How about you actually go find a dog that would suit you and which likes both of you first, and then continue to break you pretty little heads over the details. Because, trust me, dear," Martha said, laying a hand on Kate's arm and looked at her as if imparting some great wisdom, "it's easier to just say yes, seeing as he most definitely won't let this one go." Giving her arm a couple of soft pats in parting, the Broadway diva collected her dirty dishes and departed from the living room, leaving the two younger people to hash out their "problems" for themselves.

After a short hesitation moment, Castle whirled around to look at her, a huge grin on his face and rubbing his hands in excitement. "So! You heard her. No saying no!"

Groaning in exasperation, she carded a hand through her hair. "Do you even have a special dog in mind?"

He nodded. "I want a Golden Retriever. There's a breeder in Jersey and I already called while you were in the bathroom a while ago. We can go over tomorrow whenever. Tomorrow's Saturday. You're not on call, are you? See, perfect. I'll come by your place tomorrow morning and bring breakfast and then we can get this show on the road!"

She just gaped at him for a moment, a little bit in awe at his manipulation technique. How had he managed to get her to cave so easily? Rubbing her forehead again in a gesture of frustration and surrender, she finally acquiesced. "Fine," she ignored his fist pump of victory, "but I'm not saying I'm buying a dog with you. I'm just saying I'm gonna go _look_ at them with you."

He just nodded enthusiastically and grinned at her as if she had just announced she was taking him to Disney Land and dress as a Harry Potter character. Oh, he would just_ love_ that.

"Uh-huh. Yeah, sure. This is gonna be awesome!"

She looked at him doubtfully and mumbled, "We'll have to see about that." Downing the last of her wine, Kate got up from the couch. "I better get going. I have a feeling I'll need a lot of time to mentally prepare for tomorrow. Thanks for dinner, Castle."

His grin turned into a soft smile. "I like feeding you, Kate. Perfect preparation for getting a dog, now that I come to think of it," he teased.

She raised her eyebrow and gave him one of her looks. "Did you just compare me to a dog?"

A panicked look entered his eyes. "What? No. No! Kate, I would never..." he trailed off when he realized she was suppressing a smirk. "Oh, very funny."

She nodded, earnestly. "I thought so, too." Making her way to the front door, he snagged her coat off the hanger before she could even reach for it. Silently pleased, as she let him help her into her coat, she remembered their conversation about his gentlemanly upbringing and mentally thanked Martha for raising him the way she had. Kate turned around and found him opening the door for her.

"Until tomorrow, Kate."

"See you tomorrow, Castle."

Hearing the door close behind her, she sighed deeply. It couldn't be so bad, could it? They were just going to look at a few puppies and she would eventually make him see that getting a dog would be highly impractical with their job (wait, what? _Their_ job?). What would be the worst that could happen, right?

* * *

_A/N2: So, do you still like it? Hate it? Leave me a line and tell me what you think. :)_


	3. Chapter 2

_A/N: Thanks again for all the alerts and reviews. I love reading your feedback! I hope you enjoy the next installment to this little tale. Have a great weekend, everyone! :D_

* * *

There was knocking.

Loud, persistent knocking.

What idiot would be making such a noise so early on a Saturday morning? It was her day off, dammit. Turning around and dragging the pillow over her head, she groaned in relief when the obnoxious noise finally ceased.

Not five seconds later, her cell phone went off, making her jump. Throwing the pillow away, Kate blindly fumbled around for her phone. Not bothering to check the caller ID, she pressed it to her ear and barked "Beckett," her voice slightly muffled from where her face was pressed into the mattress.

"_Open the door!"_

Confused at the order (Who had the audacity to order her around? On a Saturday morning, no less.), she separated the device from her ear and glanced at the ID after all.

"Castle?"

"_Open the door, Beckett, come on!"_

This time, it sounded more like a whine. She much preferred that over the first version.

Ending the call without another word, she grudgingly threw the covers off her and shivered as the cooler air of her bedroom hit her warm flesh. Not bothering to change out of her shorts and tank-top, she swiped the few strands of hair that had escaped the messy bun during the night out of her face and stumbled towards the front door. Dragging it open, she blinked at the sight in front of her. There, Castle stood, loaded with grocery bags, full with what seemed to be breakfast ingredients, and wearing a leather jacket and sky blue sweater. For some reason, her brain could not compute what it was seeing.

Had she been paying attention, she would have noticed that he seemed to be having a similar problem. It had been quite some time since he had glimpsed so much of her naked skin. That swimming pool in LA seemed like it was ages ago. There they stood in her doorway, both equally flabbergasted, staring at each other. Kate was the first who got her composure back. "Um, come in?"

He nodded hastily and stepped passed her, careful not to touch her in any way, for which she was thankful. She wasn't sure either of them would survive any kind of physical contact right now.

Closing the door behind him, she watched as he set the various paper bags on the kitchen counter and began rummaging through them.

"Kate, why aren't you dressed yet? I told you I'd come over for breakfast," he said, and she had to strain her ears to understand him, since he had his head halfway down one bag, in the hopes of finding whatever he was looking for. In the end he ended up dumping the contents onto the counter, sorting them into piles. When she still hadn't answered him several moments later, he looked around, confused.

"Kate?"

"Uh. Yeah, right. I...forgot to set the alarm. Castle what _are_ you doing? Did you buy the whole store? Simple toast and jam would've sufficed you know?"

"Toast? Kate, I don't just invite myself over and then give you toast to eat. No, my dear detective, you will get the only true breakfast a la Castle"

"Please, don't say you're gonna make me an S'morelette!"

"Unfortunately, no, Alexis forbid me, said you would probably never speak to me again. I still don't understand her aversion to my creation, but to each their own, I guess. Anyways, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted – you'll get pancakes, eggs and bacon, I got some fresh bagels, strawberries, if you want I can make you a strawberry shake, oh and would you rather eat an omelet or scrambled eggs? I can make both, if you want, and I also got-"

"Castle, slow down. I appreciate the offer for...everything, but you don't have to make breakfast to feed an army. Some scrambled eggs and bacon and a few strawberries will be more than enough."

"But Beckett, I wanted to make you the whole shebang! Please? You could go take a long relaxing shower and get ready, and when you come back, Nirvana for your taste buds will be waiting."

"You've got a pretty high opinion of your cooking skills, don't you, Mr. Castle?"

"Nope, just high enough. Now shoo, so that I can get started," he said, and gently gripped her shoulders to lead her out of the kitchen area and back towards the bedroom – both of them trying mightily hard not to react to his hands on her naked shoulders. When he pushed her through the door and closed it behind her, she turned around and frowned at it. There was the ordering-her-around thing again. Kate was really starting to get an issue with that, she decided, but for now, she might as well do as he said. A shower did sound really good– especially a long one. She usually never had time for these when she had to work. Quickly stripping out of her sleepwear, she soon sighed in pleasure, when the hot water hit her shoulders and traveled down her back.

Maybe this day wouldn't turn out as bad as she had feared.

Her favorite mystery author was currently in her kitchen, slaving over her breakfast, after all.

She definitely could get used to that, given that he stopped ordering her around, of course.

When she stepped out of the bathroom a half hour later, her hair drying in soft curls around her face – she would just put them in a bun later, she had decided – dressed in one of her favorite dark-washed jeans and a dark blue sweater that hugged her curves really nicely –and no, she had not dressed with Castle in mind. Not at all – the scent of various breakfast dishes hit her nose. Her stomach growled in answer. She had not realized until now how hungry she really was.

"Smells good, Castle."

Turning around, he smiled at her (did his eyes really darken just now, or did she just imagine that?). "I told you, you were in for a treat." Diverting his attention back to the stove for a moment, he grabbed the pan with the scrambled eggs and then motioned for her to take a seat.

When she sat down, she saw that a steaming mug of coffee was already waiting for her. Eagerly taking a sip, she moaned softly, when it traveled down her throat and warmed her insides. His movement halted slightly, and she heard him swallow hard, before he transferred some of the eggs onto her plate, shortly followed by some strips of bacon out of the oven. A bowl with strawberries and a plate with pancakes –both with chocolate chips and another plate with blueberries – were also sitting in the middle of the table. Her mouth watered and the sight and the scent.

Following her line of sight and interpreting it correctly, he said, "You're not the only one who can go all out with breakfast, Kate." Then he pushed a glass of freshly pressed orange juice towards her. "Drink up, you need some vitamins."

She could have protested and said she wasn't a child to be babied, but saw no point in it. Instead, she dug into her breakfast.

Her taste buds felt as if they were on vacation. That was for sure.

About twenty minutes later, her stomach felt about ready to burst. "Wow, I don't think I have eaten that much for breakfast since the last time I had my mom's usual Sunday brunch." Despite the topic, there was a soft smile on her face while she rubbed her full belly, lost in happy memories.

He leveled a gentle look at her. "I'm glad I could supply some good food – you deserve it. And we're invigorated for our trip today. Are you excited? Because I so am!"

She smiled, shaking her head at him. There he was again, the nine-year-old he never seemed to grow out of. If she was honest with herself, Kate hoped he never did.

"Well, if we must. Let me just fetch a hair tie to get this mess under control," she said, indicating the wild curls of hair still tumbling free over her shoulders.

"I like it the way it is."

"Mmh, thanks, but after about an hour, it's starting to drive me nuts when it's like this," the brunette called over her shoulder as she shortly vanished in her bathroom again, only to emerge a minute later, already busy wrangling her hair into submission. By the look on his face, he was sad to see it go, but instead of dwelling on it, he held out her jacket for her, as had become his custom.

She smiled in gratitude and slipped her arms into it, feeling it settle on her shoulders. Next, she slipped into her favorite pair of boots and grabbed her keys.

"After you," she indicated for him to precede her out of the door, so she could lock it behind her. Side by side, they made their way down the hallway to the elevator, companionable silence settling over them. Kate relished the quiet, knowing it wouldn't last long.

She was right, of course. As soon as they closed the doors of her car, he started fumbling with the radio, seeking a station that was to his liking, despite knowing that it drove her up the figurative wall. Kate told herself not to snap at him. He had made her a delicious breakfast, after all.

When he still hadn't let off after two long minutes, Kate stepped onto the breaks at a red light and used the opportunity to glare at him. Feeling her eyes on him, he halted his hand's movements on the dial and looked up.

"What?"

"Don't make me regret this trip before it's even started, Castle."

He pouted at her. "I haven't done anything. I've just been sitting here, not saying a word for once. I can't help it if you're grumpy in the mornings."

"Then stop giving me reasons to be grumpy and quit fiddling with the radio."

Castle huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, sitting back in his seat. His bottom lip was still sticking out and Kate had to bite her own not to do anything stupid involving said lip.

Glancing up in time to see the light change to green, she forced her mind off her partner and to concentrate on traffic instead. She needed to hit the brakes again when a cab cut in front of her, barely managing to avoid a crash. Honking angrily, she swore under her breath, silently cursing the idiot. When she crossed the next intersection, Castle started drumming his fingers on his armrest after having gripped it in a short bout of panic at the near miss and sighed.

She bit her tongue.

When he sighed for the third time, she was sure she could taste the tang of blood in her mouth.

As he started fidgeting in his seat, she couldn't take it anymore. "Castle!" she barked, making him jump. He looked at her with wide eyes, his fingers freezing in mid tap.

"If you don't sit still for the rest of the ride and stop annoying me _right now_, so help me God, I will pull over as soon as we're out of the city and drop you off in the worst dump I can find."

"Geez, you're really grumpy. Do you need another coffee? We could stop on the way and- oh yes, can we please stop on the way and get some snacks? Every road trip is in need of junk food. It's some unwritten law! Please, Beckett? Maybe some gummy bears and pretzels! Oh, and I haven't had Twizzlers in _ages_! Say yes, Beckett, please?"

She growled in the back of her throat and instead of answering, she went back to biting her tongue.

Kate considered herself lucky to not have it amputated by the end of this trip.

Crap, what had she gotten herself into?

Stupid Castle and his stupid blue eyes and impish grin that made his eyes crinkle with excitement.

She groaned and resisted the urge to bash her head against the steering wheel.

How was she ever going to survive this?

* * *

A/N2: Tell me what you think before you leave? :)


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: I'm terribly sorry about the long wait, I hope you guys are still with me. I kind of fell into a post-Always trance and had to read my fill of morning after fics. I'm sure you all understand ;)  
Anyways, here's the next chapter (and please bare with me, because I have no clue what the procedure is for adopting a dog. I hope I did alright).

* * *

Chapter 3

Kate Beckett breathed a sigh of relief when they finally pulled into the driveway leading to the breeder Castle had found online. In the nearly two hours it had taken them to reach their destination, Kate was about ready to strangle her partner. After he had been busy playing Angry Birds Space for half an hour, he eventually ended up swearing at the pigs that refused to die and came close to throwing his iPhone out the window more than once, much to Kate's amusement and annoyance. When he had finally given up and went through two more apps, in which the sound effects made Kate's teeth hurt – due to the fact that she was grinding them together in an attempt to hold the scream that threatened to break free hostage – he went back to fiddling with the radio, then the AC and eventually his seat. About which he then, naturally, went off on a rant ("That loose spring is still digging into my back, I'm sure it'll eventually damage a nerve. - Why doesn't it go back any farther, there's never enough room for my legs. - How do you sit in this car for so long, Beckett? - The least the CIA could have done in gratitude over our saving the world, again, was to fix this seat."), essentially doing his utmost to grate on her nerves. _Nerve damage. Yeah right_, she thought, her knuckles white on the steering wheel.

Now, Kate couldn't wait to get out of the car and away from him for a few minutes.

Taking in the old farmhouse, part of which had been remodeled into a modern family home, with a large porch and wide windows, somehow allowing it to keep its old charm, Kate could see that the rest of the property still served its old purpose.

Farther off the street, a large paddock could be spotted, currently being used by two teenaged girls riding their horses, their trainer leaning against the fence, spotting them.

Letting her eyes drift, the detective saw several gorgeous horses peeking out open stable window here and there. Not too far off from where Kate and Castle were standing, a fat tabby cat sat in the building's shadow, licking her back.

And then there was the barking coming from the barn itself. If she had to wager a guess, she'd say that's where the dogs were being kept. Kate heard the passenger door close and a moment later, his voice reached her ears. "This place is bigger than I thought. Pretty, too."

She made a noise of agreement and then closed her door as well, before locking the car and glancing over at him, waiting for him to make a move towards the house's front door. When he didn't and just continued to stare at the property, she rolled her eyes and started for the door. A moment later, she could hear him hurrying to catch up.

Beckett rang the bell a second before she could feel his heat seeping into her back.

"I'm so excited," he whispered, his voice drifting passed her ear, very nearly making her shiver. She could feel him bouncing on the balls of his feet and had to suppress a smile.

Several seconds went by before they could hear footsteps from the inside, coming towards the door. Someone fiddled with the lock for a moment and then the door was swinging open. An older gentleman came into view, not quite as tall as Castle, but coming close. Kind, startling blue eyes greeted them, thin lips curled into a welcoming smile. His short, dark hair and graying temples gave him a distinguished look.

"Can I help you?" he asked, his hand coming down to grab hold of the collar of a beautiful Golden Retriever that currently stuck its nose between its owners leg and the edge of the door, curiously looking up at them.

"Yes, hello, I'm Rick Castle. I assume we spoke on the phone yesterday?"

"Ah, Mr. Castle! Yes, I'm Henry McDermont. Please, come on it!" he exclaimed, opening the door further and welcoming them inside.

"This is Kate Beckett." Castle introduced her. "I hope you don't mind that I brought someone else."

Mr. McDermont was already shaking his head before Castle even finished speaking. "Of course not! It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Beckett."

Kate didn't bother correcting the man about her title and just shook his hand with a smile. "What a gorgeous dog you have there. What's her name?"

A proud smile settled on his lips as he petted his dog's head. "This is Lucy. My wife thought I was crazy when I insisted on calling her that, only because it allows me to say 'Lucy, I'm home', when I get back. But please, do come in."

Smiling, they both followed his invitation and stepped into the simple, yet luxurious hallway. Dark cherry wood floor was gleaming in the early afternoon light and several antique lamps where set into the white walls. A dark mahogany side table held a handful of framed photos of the family and their dogs.

"Please, this way. My wife just made some iced tea. Would you like some to freshen up a little?"

They were lead into a spacious living room, similar in style like the rest of the house they had already seen, and settled onto the huge African style couch in the center of the room. A minute later, what must have been Mrs. McDermont, breezed into the room, carrying a tray with glasses filled with chilled tea. The ice cubes clunked softly against the each other as she set the tray down.

"You must be Mr. and Mrs. Castle! It is _so_ lovely to meet you!" she greeted them, but her husband's amused chuckled interrupted any further comment. "They're not married, dear. This is Kate Beckett, she's a...friend or Mr. Castle's."

Blushing slightly at her mistake, she turned towards them again, a hint of embarrassment in her voice, "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to presume anything."

To both her own and apparently Castle's surprise, judging by the look on his face, Kate just smiled at the older woman and reassured her, "It's not a problem. Don't worry about it, really. You're not the first one to make such a comment. I've learned to kinda take it in stride." She joked, grinning slyly at Castle as he nearly choked on his tea.

Mrs. McDermont laughed, delighted that she hadn't accidentally insulted her guests. "Well, in this case, drink up dear, since your friend already started without you." Castle looked suitable chastened, much to Kate's amusement. Laughing, she nodded and reached for a glass, relishing the coolness of it against her palm. "Yes, ma'am."

The other woman waved her off. "Oh, none of that, dear, call me Caitlin!"

Her smile widening, she swallowed the delicious sip of tea she had just taken and sat the glass back down. "Thank you, Caitlin. I'm Kate, and this is Rick."

"It is a pleasure to meet you both. I take it Rick and you want to get a dog and you want to take a look at our breed?"

Kate pointed at her partner. "He wants to get a dog and somehow managed to talk me into coming with."

"Oh, you just wait," he shot back, "once you've looked into those adorable puppy dog eyes, you'll beg me to share the dog with you."

She huffed. "We'll see about that."

Henry and Caitlin chuckled at them, then he spoke up, "So, before we go and take a look at the dogs, there are a few questions we'd like to ask you." Castle nodded eagerly, happy to get the boring part out of the way. "We would of course like to know that we give our dogs into good homes. How much space they would have, someone responsible to take care of them, someone who doesn't only want a cute puppy for a short time, but a loyal companion for several years."

Rick nodded again, this time in understanding. "Well, let me just say that I am an author, so I work mostly from home. I have a spacious loft and a park is just around the corner. Of course, there are also the days I spend at the police station working, uh, doing research with Detective Beckett here, but still the dog wouldn't need to stay at home alone, since my mother is currently living with me. And in the case of a book tour, I would either take him with me, or I'm sure Kate would be more than happy to dog sit for me," here he waggled his eyebrows at her and got the expected eye roll in return.

Henry seemed satisfied with his answers. "In that case, I guess I don't have to ask whether you have the income necessary to take care of a dog. I knew your name sounded familiar. The Nikki Heat books, right?" Rick nodded and grinned at the recognition. Henry turned towards Kate. "Let me go out on a limb here and say that you're his inspiration for the character?"

"Yep, that would be me," she tried to sound nonchalant, but could still feel the blush rising to her cheeks, much to her mortification.

Henry laughed, delighted. "Alright, by any indication, I'd say whatever dog you'll choose will be in good hands." He slapped his hands onto the tops of his thighs and added, "If you're ready, I'd say let's go find you a dog."

Castle jumped up, nearly vibrating with excitement and Kate shot him a look that said 'Are you kidding me right now?' before she, too, got up. Slowly. She could see that he was close to dragging her outside. Or throw her over his shoulder and carry her himself, but the fear of severed limbs kept him from putting that plan into action. She bit her lip to keep her smirk hidden. It was so much fun pulling _his_ pigtails, for a change.

Henry lead them outside, Caitlin remaining inside to better keep an eye on the cake baking in the oven, she'd said. Across the grounds they went and into the barn, where the barking and yapping of little dogs greeted them. Sunlight streamed through open windows into the huge building, making it easier for their eyes to adjust to the dim light in the barn.

Several boxes, originally used for horses, had been remodeled to give three puppies at a time a temporary home. Heaps of hay and fresh grass lay scattered across the floor, as did several toys. Food bowls had been worked into the walls. Doors were build into the sides, connecting each box with each other, enabling the puppies to wander between boxes. Currently, the doors were closed, in preparation for their visitors. Nameplates and date of birth pinned to each box indicated which puppies they were looking at.

Kate was a little overwhelmed by their numbers. She would never be able to choose just one – they were all simply too adorable. Henry's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "Only three of them have already found new owners and will be taken to their forever homes by the end of next week. The three of them are in the last box. The ones not old enough yet to be given away just yet, are in another hall, still with their mothers. Every other dog would surely like to go home with you, and if you would like to take a look at the younger ones, just let me know."

As soon as Kate approached a box – with Terry, Miloh and Buddy inside, the plate said – they raced towards the front, nearly tripping over their paws in the process and put their front paws against the door, wagging their tails excitedly, their little tongues lolling out of their mouths and their dark eyes glittered happily at the prospect of a cuddle.

Kate's heart melted a little.

Reaching over the top of the box, she petted each of their heads and got her hand licked in thanks.

"Kate!" She looked around at Castle's call and found him a few boxes down, waving her over. Following his urging, she threw a last look at her three new friends and then made her way over to him. "Kate, look at this one!" He sounded so excited that she sped up her pace a little. Reaching his side, she followed the direction his finger was pointing at.

Her heart missed a beat.

And then melted further, until it was a puddle at her feet.

Before her was the most adorable puppy she had ever seen. His, for his breed usual golden-brown fur was accented by a few distinct markings. Each of his paws looked as if it was encased in soft white shoes and the tip of his tail seemed as if it had been dipped into white paint. The thing that stood out most to Kate, however, was the marking around his eye. Repeating her move from earlier, she reached down and was greeted by a happy bark and the press of a wet nose against her palm. Smiling brightly, Kate traced the white circle around its left eye, before giving him a couple of scratches behind his ear. When she straightened, she found Castle watching her with warm eyes and a huge smile on his face.

"Yes?" he inquired.

"Yes," she agreed simply. And just like that, she had forgotten all about her objections from earlier.

It looked as if she was getting a dog.

With Castle.

* * *

_Thoughts? :)_


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Thanks so much to everyone who's reviewed this so far! I love reading your thoughts about this little tale. Makes me motivated to keep writing! :) Also, I'd like to thank my friend **pealee** for always being there to complain to and read this over again for me. Thanks, girl, you're awesomesauce! :D**  
**

Now on we go. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Every time Kate glanced into the rear view mirror, she had to suppress a smile.

There, Castle sat in the backseat, the pup's head comfortably cushioned on his thigh. Sherlock relished the attention, his eyes closed in pleasure as Castle caressed the soft fur of his head, from time to time deviating from his path to play with the puppy's ears. He also had the biggest grin on his face.

Castle, not the dog, that is.

After about half way back to the city, Sherlock got up and crawled onto his human's lap, a little unsteady, not used yet to the car's motions. Castle's big hands reached out at once to steady the small creature and held him as the dog pressed his wet nose against the window, watching the landscape and houses swish by.

From time to time, Castle even pointed out some interesting spots to the dog (Oh, look, buddy, there's a nice little lake for you to jump into. Kate, we should get back here sometime. - Aww, did you see that other dog just now? I'm sure you'll be even more handsome, once you're all grown up!), making Kate laugh. Leave it to him to sound like a proud papa bear.

At some point, she saw the sign for a mall a few miles off the highway and took the next exit. Seeing Castle's questioning gaze in the mirror, she volunteered, "I thought this would be a good time to get the first necessities for our new friend here, since you never did get around to buying all the stuff he'll need." _In your overwhelming haste and his penchant to not plan things through_, she silently added, giving a mental sigh.

Nodding in agreement, he proceeded to fasten the leash to the collar – both thanks to the McDermonts. Kate had opted to stay with Caitlin, while Henry and Castle had finalized the financial necessities and papers in the office. She had decided that for once, she was better off not knowing the details, having a vague idea of how much such a dog cost, and left it at that. Apparently, it was enough to warrant a collar and leash included in the deal.

Driving onto the parking lot a couple of minutes later, Kate spotted an empty lot and expertly parked the car. Turning around in her seat so that she could see him, she said, "Since dogs are not allowed, I guess I'll stay here and let you brace the vast aisles of the store alone. You sure you can handle it, partner?"

He grinned at her, "Admit it, you just want to get rid of me to get a chance to make him like you more than me."

Kate raised an eyebrow at him and stated drily, "Yes. That is exactly what my evil mind came up with. By the time you get back, he won't even want to look at you anymore."

Mock outraged, he turned towards the dog, "Your mom is a very sneaky one. Don't fall for her tricks." Patting the dog's flanks, he sighed, "I know it's hard to resist her charms, but stay strong, buddy." Sherlock watched him attentively, before giving an answering bark. "That's a good boy!"

Opening the door, he quickly exited the car, not even daring to glance back at her, for fear the glare that was surely directed at him might strike him dead on the spot.

Sighing heavily as the door fell shut and she watched him hurrying across the parking lot, she absentmindedly scratched Sherlock's chin and spoke, "Your dad is lucky I like him so much, otherwise he would need to pull out his safeword much more often." Narrowing her eyes as soon as she realized what she had just said, she groaned at herself.

_Mom? Dad? _

They really were _those_ people, weren't they?

* * *

About a half hour had passed before the trunk was being opened and she heard him rummaging around back there, filling the room with what was probably heaps of toys, judging by what she remembered of his list.

Kate and Sherlock had passed the time by taking a walk around the parking lot, the latter sticking his nose to everything in his way, sniffing away for a few seconds before happily bouncing along, tail wagging and ears flying. Returning to the car, Kate had let Sherlock hop back into the backseat, freed him from the leash and rolled down the window a bit to let some fresh air in, before having turned on the radio for some background noise.

Now, a full five minutes after having started loading the trunk, he slid back into the seat with a huff. "Good thing I had my list. You wouldn't believe the selection they had. Of course, I also had to buy everything twice! The result is a very full trunk. I had to cram a little, since it's not the biggest trunk by any standards. You need a new car. Why won't you let me buy you a new car, Beckett?"

She ignored most of his rambling, concentrating on a tiny word instead.

"Twice?"

"What?"

"You had to buy everything twice? Why?"

"Uh, well, unless you wanna move into the loft, to which you are more than welcome, of course, he will need stuff at your place as well, won't he?"

Was it really only two days ago that everything was normal (_as normal as it would get with them, anyways_), and she was solving crimes and having the occasional dinner at Remy's with him? And now they were mom and dad (_to a dog, Kate_) and he was casually asking her to move in with him?

She had the feeling she might get whiplash, if they moved any faster. Turning around without another comment, she concentrated on the task of driving her car. At least that was still normal. And she didn't need a new car. This one was perfectly fine – he was just complaining to annoy her.

Backing out of the lot, soon enough they were back on the road.

Silence reigned for several minutes, not counting Rick's hushed 'conversation' with his new best friend. Fed up with playing her own company, Kate spoke, interrupting her partner's rendition of his encounter with the guard dog of about two years ago, which had ended with his jeans shredded and his ego slightly scratched.

"What's Alexis say to all of this anyways? Doesn't she think this is all a little bit rushed?"

Silence greeted her question for a full five seconds, before she grew suspicious and lifted an eyebrow at him in the mirror. "Castle? You _have_ told her you were getting a dog, haven't you?"

She saw him cringe. "I, uh, may have intended it as a surprise?"

Her answering, exasperated groan made him cringe even more. "Castle! She's not ten anymore and you're not getting her a puppy for Christmas! Don't you think she's a little bit too old for such surprises?"

He pouted at her. "You're never too old for surprises, Kate! Especially not for such cute ones as this one, right buddy?" He exclaimed and addressed the last part towards the pup, scratching his belly as he lay stretched across the backseat, eyes closed, tongue lolling and paws in the air.

"Why do I even bother?" Kate mumbled, more to herself than to anyone else.

And for the nth time in the last 48 hours, Kate Beckett wondered what she had gotten herself into.

* * *

"Castle, just...hold still! _Ow_, no, take a step to the left. The_ other_ left, Castle! Geez."

"Well, what do you want me to do? Hold still or move to the left? Women, never able to make up their min- _ow_!"

"You're still standing on my foot, Castle, so yes, I would like you to _move off of it_!"

"Okay, okay. No need to punch me! Geez, woman! Ow! What was that for?"

"Don't _woman_ me, Richard Castle, or I swear to God..."

"Alright, okay, I'm moving, hold on."

The three of them were currently crammed into the elevator in Castle's building, loaded with Sherlock's new puppy essentials (_and not so essentials_), their arms overflowing with bags full of toys (_Kate had rolled her eyes when she had spotted the alligator in the trunk, swearing that it would never ever find the way into her apartment and luckily, the toys weren't amongst the things he had bought twice_), food bowls, blankets and various other things. Under their arms, they had hefted the actual doggy food and his bed. The dog in question just sat safely in a corner of the elevator, watching his human's antics curiously. The soft ping of the elevator reaching his floor chimed, but Castle and Beckett were too busy bickering to notice. Sherlock watched the doors glide open, before turning his eyes back towards the humans in front of him. When they still didn't make to step off the elevator, he gave a huff and knew that he had to get their attention. Just as the doors were about to close, he barked and tugged on the leash which was miraculously still being held by Kate.

"Wha-"

"Castle! The doors! _Move_, will you?"

"Why are you snapping at me? You're standing closer to the doors, you go first!"

"Are you seriously discussing this with me right now? I remember vividly when you complained about me having to go first all the time. Now, I'm being nice and letting you go first, and you're still whining at me? Seriously, Castle, I will never understand that brain of yours." She glared at him and angled her shoulder to give him a push, before the doors could completely slide shut.

Having managed to get off the elevator in once piece, they encountered the next obstacle.

"Uh, Beckett, I need you to, uh, reach into my pocket." He dared a glance at her and saw her glare at him. "For the, uh, for the key?"

"Castle, do I look as if I had any more free hands than you do?"

"Uh..."

Rolling her eyes, she somehow managed to balance the bag in her left arm down onto the ground, careful not to let it tip over and have the contents end up in a mess on the floor.

"Where is it?"

"Left pocket." Did he sound nervous?

She stepped behind him, pressing the bag still in her right arm against his back to better support it, before feeling along his hip, at which point he jumped a little bit (_yep, definitely nervous_), and letting her fingers trailing down until she reached the seam of his pocket. Slipping her hand inside (_don't think about it, Kate, just do it_), she groped around for a bit until she could feel the metal of the keys digging into her palm. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought he had stopped breathing by now. Stilling, she pressed her chest a little closer against his back - only to make sure, of course – and held her breath for a second. Okay, so definitely not breathing. Smirking, she finally grabbed the keys and tugged them out of his pocket. Stepping back to her previous position beside him, she heard him gulp down a large dose of oxygen.

Taking a step towards the door, she fiddled with the keys, searching for the right one, when he said, "Just slide in the big one." Biting her lip, she did as she was told, slowly, and threw him a look over her shoulder. "It's always the big one for you, isn't it, Castle?" He froze for a moment, eyes widening, before he waggled his eyebrows at her. "You're more than welcome to find out for yourself, detective."

Letting her smirk turn seductive, she husked, "Oh, Castle, I'm not sure you would survive me handling your big...key." Pushing the door open with a twist of her hips, she stepped through the doorway, Sherlock happily tagging along. Behind her, she could hear Castle choke a little, essentially proving her right.

* * *

_A/N: You guys still with me? :)_


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Darlings, you're back!"

Martha's voice floated out of the kitchen before the woman herself stepped into view. Clapping her hands in delight, she added with an uncanny sparkle in her eyes, "And you brought the baby home!"

Kate could hear Castle choke again behind her, before he broke into a short coughing fit. Both women skillfully ignored him. The younger woman switched places with Castle's mother, liberating her arms of the bags while she heard Martha coo, "Oh, let me look at you! Aren't you a darling?" Throwing a glance over her shoulder, she saw the redhead crouching on the ground, her full attention on a very happy Sherlock, who, by the looks of it, had just won over another heart.

Many minutes later, after having put Sherlock's things where they belonged – according to Castle at least – Kate sank into the couch with a sigh. Who knew that buying a puppy would be this exhausting? Closing her eyes, she let her body mold itself to the soft leather of the couch. Two seconds later, she felt something small jump onto it beside her and then a soft warmth settled onto her thigh. Blinking her eyes open, she saw Sherlock yawn widely before making himself comfortable against her for a nap, his chin cushioned against her thigh.

Resting her own head back against the leather, eyes fluttering shut again, she felt a smile settle on her lips.

Kate thought she heard the shutter of a camera click shut, before she, too, drifted off towards sleep.

When she surfaced again, it was due to the sound of the front door clicking open and shut, before Alexis announced herself with a hesitant "Dad?"

"Hi Pumpkin! How was your sleepover? Did you have a good time with your friends?"

Kate watched him approach his daughter and envelope her in a warm hug, before averting her eyes and gazing down at her fluffy companion instead, who was still sound asleep.

"We had a great time, but, Dad...Why is there a dog on our couch?"

The detective could literally hear him grinning at his daughter with excitement.

"Kate and I got a dog!"

The woman in question winced. Oh, God.

"You...you got a dog...with Detective Beckett? When did you decide to get a dog together? Why didn't you tell me? Does this mean you guys are together? Dad! How could you not tell me?"

Castle stared at the teen with wide eyes, obviously not having expected such an outburst.

Well, duh.

"Woah, sweetie, slow down! Kate and I are not...a couple." The detective could hear the implied 'yet' just as loudly as everyone else in the room. "And the dog was supposed to be a surprise. It wouldn't have been a surprise if I'd told you, now would it?"

Alexis let out a long-suffering sigh. "I suppose. But still, this is a big decision, Dad!"

"I know, but don't worry. Kate wouldn't let anything happen to either of us, right, Kate?"

She playfully pondered his words for a moment, before answering, "I'm tempted to say that I'll certainly look after this little guy and leave you to your own devices, but seeing as you're my partner, I guess I feel kinda responsible for you, too. And with all the trouble you always manage to get yourself in, it would be close to a criminal act to do so. But as soon as you start marking your territory, you're on your own!"

He grinned at her. "I knew you liked me."

"I never said I liked you, I said I feel responsible."

"It was implied."

"Was not."

"Was, too."

"Guys!"

Alexis's voice cut through their banter. "Don't you want to introduce us?" She said, pointing at the dog, who had risen from his slumber and was now curiously watching his humans argue with each other.

"Right! Alexis, come meet Sherlock. Sherlock, buddy, this is Alexis. Be extra nice to her, because she's very special to daddy. Oooh, in that case, she's your sister! Isn't this exciting?"

All three of them just stared at him, mouths slightly open. Although in Sherlock's case that seemed to be nothing unusual.

Kate absently wiped at the little spot of drool that had accumulated on her jeans.

Ew.

"Sure, Dad." Alexis found her voice first, but couldn't resist throwing her dad a last incredulous look, before turning her attention to the puppy. Sherlock was already wagging his tail happily, his paws propped on Kate's leg, in anticipation of another petting. Of course, the young red-head didn't disappoint.

"Aww! Hi, Sherlock. Oh my God, you're adorable!" she exclaimed, while caressing the dog's soft fur. "Where did you get him?" Her eyes sought out Beckett's for the first time since she had entered the loft. It was clear that the younger woman did not yet know what to make of the whole situation.

"Your father found a breeder over in Jersey and had me drive there this morning, when normal people who had their day off where still asleep."

"Hey! You never let me drive! I would have happily gotten behind the wheel, but since you seem to have an aversion to seeing anyone who is not you behind the wheel of a car, I settled for the passenger side, as always." Seeing her trademark glare, he hastened to add, "At least I made you breakfast?"

She leveled another look at him, then turned her attention back to Alexis. "As I was saying, we drove out to Jersey and looked at so many beautiful puppies. For some reason, this little guy managed to weasel himself into our hearts and then into the car."

Alexis laughed at that. "Yeah, I can see how easily he must have done that."

They remained that way, the Castle-Rogers (and, Kate guessed, now 'Beckett' was in there somewhere, too) family, seated in the living room, taking turns entertaining their newest addition, and laughing heartily at the pup's playful antics. Dinner, consisting of Chinese take-out and a glass of red wine for the adults, came and went and over the course of the evening, some of the tension that had settled between Alexis and Kate ever since she had been shot last summer, dissipated a little bit. Kate hoped it would continue to do so. They were bound to run into each other more often now.

As Sherlock yawned for the third time and was just about to make himself comfortable against his new favorite spot – Kate's thigh – again, the would-be-pillow decided that it was time for her to go.

"Already?" Was Castle's protest, to which Kate demonstratively glanced at her watch. "Castle, it's closing in on 11pm. Besides, I have a breakfast date with my dad tomorrow morning, so I have to get up early."

"Oh. Alright, then."

Kate nearly reconsidered, due to the disappointment that was evident in his voice, but knew it was for the best. It wasn't as if they hadn't spent the whole day together, for crying out loud.

"Will you at least come and tuck Sherlock into bed with me?"

Beckett nearly choked on her own saliva. "Castle. He's a dog. I doubt he would want to be _tucked in_."

"But look at him. So small and helpless. Just like a baby. You would want to tuck in your baby, wouldn't you, Beckett?"

"Seriously, Castle? Didn't you nearly have a coronary earlier this evening as your mother referred to him as 'baby'? And now you go and do it yourself." She stared at him for a beat. "If you start preparing him baby bottles and have him wearing diapers, I'm outta here."

He skilfully ignored her first comment. "Aww, come on, Beckett. Who can possibly resist these eyes?"

She wasn't sure if he was referring to the dog's or his own. No matter, they were both equally bad. She mentally added that to her ever growing list of things she would never tell Castle, not even under threat of bodily harm. His ever-inflating ego wouldn't survive another boost and would probably end up exploding like a balloon under too much pressure.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she threw another look at Castle before bending over the couch and pressing a quick kiss to Sherlock's forehead.

"There, satisfied?"

"Immeasurably."

As she made her way towards the door, she heard him call her name. Stopping, she turned around to face him again, quirking her eyebrow in question.

"When are you gonna be back from breakfast? I'd like to bring Sherlock's things over."

"Not sure. How about I give you a call?"

He nodded and Kate waved goodbye to his family. "I had a great evening. Thanks for dinner!"

"You know you are always welcome here, darling. Have a good night."

Kate smiled fondly at the older woman, waved again and a second later, the door closed behind her.

Stepping into the elevator, she leaned against the railing, her head meeting the metal wall behind her with a soft thud. Her eyes getting unfocused, she let the events of the day catch up with her.

She bought a dog.

With Castle.

And they had shared custody.

Good grief, what was she thinking? This was probably way up on that list of Stupid-Things-Castle-Made-Her-Do-Because-He-Convinced-Her-He-Was-Being-Clever, right above that time she had to go undercover as a Russian hooker to save his ass from the Russian mob at an underground poker game, and below the "undercover" kiss they shared in a dark alley in order to save their friends. Well, okay, she kind of encouraged his dumb idea that one time. She huffed. Inconsequential detail.

Anyways, she went on in her mental rant, getting a dog with Castle? So stupid.

Especially considering the feelings she may have for hi- no. She was not going there. Not tonight and not anytime soon. That was a disaster waiting to happen. They were partners. They worked so well together. She would not screw that up.

Groaning in frustration, she pressed her thumb and forefinger to the bridge of her nose, just as the elevator binged to signal it's destination. The doors slid open and Kate stepped into the foyer. Calling a quick "Good night!" to the doorman on duty, who smiled at her and returned her greeting with a "Have a pleasant evening, Detective," she stepped out into the chilly New York night.

At least the air helped her clear her head a little.

Glancing up the side of the building, she spotted Castle standing at the window of his office, watching her until she had safely reached her car and slid into the drivers seat.

She smiled, secretly liking his protective streak.

She also liked the warm feeling it gave her.

Another thing to add to the list of things she would never tell him.

* * *

A/N: Once again, I have to apologize for the terribly long wait between chapters. I hope you can forgive me. I just wasn't really feeling like writing the last couple of weeks. If you guys have any prompts and ideas you would like to read in this story, drop me a line and I'll see if I can work it into it. Maybe it'll help me update more regularly?

I hope you're all well. Have a nice week, you guys! :)


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: My only excuse this time is that I was swamped with _Warehouse 13_ feels, which didn't let me concentrate on this story at all. Forgive me?  
**

**Chapter 6**

The diner was already bustling with the regulars enjoying their usual breakfast before braving another work day in the city, when Kate stepped through the door. Her arrival, signaled by the ringing of the bells above the entrance, was lost in the murmur and laughter of the crowd.

Halting in her movements for a moment, while the door fell shut behind her with a soft _click, _the detective scanned the people for a very familiar face. A few seconds later, a smile stole over her features, as she found whom she was looking for.

Weaving her way through the tables, she slid into the booth opposite her dad and squeezed his left hand which was resting on the table next to a plate full of delicious looking pancakes.

"Hey, dad."

"Hello, Katie. It's good to see you."

"You, too."

"You look good," he answered her smile with one of his own, as his eyes tracked over her face, taking in her relaxed features.

"Thanks. It's been a good week."

"Anything I should know about?"

"Well, I don't know if you _should,_" she teased, "but I'm gonna tell you anyways."

He smirked at her. "You're too kind."

"Don't I know it?" She shot him another smile, before dropping her eyes to the tabletop, fiddling with the paper napkin laying there. It wasn't as if it was that big a deal. She had adopted a dog. With Castle. So what?

"Katie?"

She cringed at the concern evident in her father's voice and in one great rush, she admitted, "Castle kind of convinced me to adopt a dog with him."

She could literally feel her dad's eyebrows rise towards his hairline, even though she wasn't looking at him.

What she wasn't expecting, was for him to burst out into laughter.

After having completed her turn of the raised eyebrow, her version featuring more incredulity, rather than surprise, she non-too-patiently waited for him to catch his breath.

He took a huge gulp of air, before theatrically wiping tears from his eyes (really, she should introduce him to Martha sometime, Kate thought. The actress would simply adore him).

"What?" Oh, she hated how petulant she sounded. Five minutes in her father's company and she found habits returning from when she was sixteen.

"Oh, nothing," he gasped. "It's just...you two are so adorable."

"_Adorable_?" What the hell? "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Come on, Katie. A _dog_? You guys adopted a dog. _Together_. What about that is not adorable? And you're not even a couple. Yet."

"I...we...well no, of course not! Castle is...and I. Ugh." She buried her head in her hands, in frustration and embarrassment over not being able to even articulate what was going on between her and Castle. To be honest, she had absolutely no clue anymore. Work partners did not adopt puppies together. Sure, they were friends, but that was all, wasn't it? _No, that's not all, girl_, the voice in her head, which sounded suspiciously like Lanie, said, _and you know it. You're just too scared to take that one step that would take you over the line and onto his side_.

"Ugh!"

She heard her dad chuckle again, softly this time, before she felt his hands cover hers and pull them from her face. Clasping them gently between his own, he smiled at her, a knowing glint in his eyes that only a father could possess.

"I think I know what's going on here. While I usually admire that really smart brain of yours, this time I'll give you some advice. You're over-thinking it. Don't. What you and Rick have is special, yes, but I do believe you can make it even more so. You won't destroy what you have, Katie-bug. You'll just add to it."

Silence reigned for a few long moments, while Kate absorbed what her father had just said.

"But what if I screw it up? What if it doesn't work out?"

"That's life, kid. You won't know, until you try." Pushing the plate with pancakes over to her, he added, "And now dig in, before they get cold."

Heeding his advice, she grabbed a knife and fork and soon after relished her first bite of the sweet dish.

"So, when do I get to meet that puppy of yours?"

"His name's Sherlock. He's a golden retriever, and he's perfect. I'll give you a call and let you know when it's my turn to have him."

There was that glint again in Jim's eyes. "Sounds like your smitten, kiddo! Oh, I have to go shopping, he needs treats."

"Dad, he doesn't-"

"Nah-uh, I have to practice! He'll be spoiled rotten!"

"Practice for what?"

"Well, now, Katie! For my first grandchild, of course!"

Good thing she had already swallowed her bite of pancake.

* * *

"Castle, what are you doing? I told you to put his pillow by the couch." Castle turned around and winced when he saw her standing in the doorway to her bedroom, hands on her hips and a chastising scowl on her face.

"But, Beckett! He's still a baby! He can't sleep out there, all alone! He'll get scared!"

His wince deepened when he saw her eyebrow raise into her hairline and a knowing look appear in her eyes. "You let him sleep in your bed last night, didn't you?"

"What?" He chuckled falsely. "I wouldn't! Come on, what do you take me for?" His valiant effort to sound sincere was made undone when Sherlock chose that moment to come racing into the room and with one giant leap – quite impressive for such a small creature – landed squarely in the middle of the bed. Treading around on the soft covers for a second, he then proceeded to make himself comfortable on his side, his legs stretched out away from him and his big, black eyes fixed on Beckett. _Your move_, he seemed to say.

Beckett just silently redirected her stare back to her partner, who had lost all the color in his face and seemed to quake in his shoes.

"I...uh. I just...I couldn't, I mean, look at him! C-can you say no to that face?" he squeaked, and gulped, hoping not to be struck down right where he stood.

She let the silence drag out between them, her expression remained stoic. After endless seconds, she turned around on her heels, calling back over her shoulder, "If he leaves any kind of body fluid in my bed, I expect you to buy me new covers. And a new bed."

Rick breathed a sigh of relief. "Or you could just come live with me," he muttered, giving Sherlock a scratch behind the ears, before hurrying after the irate detective.

Then he started grinning.

_Castle 1, Beckett 0._

Kate was filling a bowl with water and putting it down next to a bowl with pebbles, when he stepped into her kitchen area. She had even put a plastic sheet beneath it, to keep the floor as clean as possible.

"By the way," he announced himself, making her look up from her task, "I've put the box with his toys behind the couch. That way, nobody will accidentally trip over it. I can't promise the same for toys he leaves laying around."

"Good to know," she said, and came to stand against the kitchen counter. "You want a beer or something? Glass of wine?"

He nodded, delighted by the offer. "Wine sounds good."

"Why don't you make yourself comfortable on the couch. I'll go get the drinks."

Rick nodded again and made his way over to her spacious couch. Sinking into it, he stretched his stiff muscles – that play-session with Sherlock earlier hadn't ended too well for his back – and pondered the last few hours. The good detective had seemed slightly different. More thoughtful, almost hesitant when talking to him. No, not hesitant. Shy. Yes, that was the right word. She had seemed shy. He tried to remember when the last time was he had seen her anywhere near being shy. Especially around him. Was it something he had done? She had seemed fine yesterday when she'd left his place.

No, it couldn't have been anything he'd done. Otherwise, he wouldn't have caught the many lingering glances she had thrown his way throughout the afternoon.

She had called him, after returning home from her breakfast with her dad, and he had offered to swing by around noon with some lunch. They had had a delightful hour eating Thai and watching Sherlock chase after his new favorite toy – a neon green tennis ball.

His musings where interrupted by a glass of red wine appearing in his vision. His eyes traveled up the length of her arm, her shoulder, up her neck, then her face to finally settle on her eyes – he could still get lost in them, even after all these years – and offered her a smile. "Thank you," he said, taking the glass from her hand. The brush of his fingers over hers as he did so was not intentional. Not at all.

He still relished in the slight gasp his touch pulled from her lips.

She cleared her throat to cover up her reaction and sank into the couch besides him, her own glass clutched securely in her hand.

"So, he seems to like my place," Kate broke the comfortable silence that had settled between them, a few minutes later.

"Yeah, but what's not to love? Your place is great. Lots of hiding places for his toys and corners to sneak up on you."

Kate grinned. "Lucky me."

Rick grinned back at her, relieved that she seemed to have come out of her funk. "He also doesn't seem to mind being carted back and forth between our places. Let's hope it stays that way."

Beckett nodded, but cast him a thoughtful look. "What if it doesn't, though? I guess he'd have to stay with you, then. It would be the sensible thing to do, and-"

"Kate." He reached for her hand, which had been fiddling with the corner of a throw pillow, and made her look at him. "Why not cross that bridge when – if – we get to it? Right now, everything is going great, isn't it? He's happy right where he is." He nodded in the direction of her bedroom, where Sherlock was still curled up on her bed, seemingly asleep. "And if, and that's a big if, he for some reason doesn't want to be at home in two places, we'll figure something out. We're good at that, remember?"

The thankful smile she directed at him nearly threw him for a loop. Damn, how did she do that? One smile and his heart was nearly beating out of his chest. He just couldn't help staring at her in awe. Feeling her tiny hand squeezing his larger one, he broke eye contact and dropped his gaze to their hands, twined together in the slight space between them. When he saw her thumb swiping over the back of his hand in a gentle caress, his eyes snapped up back to her face, with a short stop on her lips.

He swallowed.

Hard.

They were glistening. Had she just licked them?

Dear God, or whatever entity might be listening, please let him be brave enough to lean forward and capture those sinful lips with his own.

The seconds seemed to drag on, until some higher power (or it might be his baser instinct screaming at him to _move_) granted his wish and he leaned forward, those lips coming ever closer until he could nearly taste them-

-only to be met by dog breath and a wet, black nose.

Sherlock took full advantage of his daddy's closeness and gave his face a good swipe with his tongue, making Castle sputter and back away in a hurry, eventually ending up on the ground in between the couch and coffee table.

"Oh, eww, Sherlock! Also, _ouch_!"

Kate's laughter reached his ears and he pouted up at her. "Not. Funny!"

"Way funny!" She shot back, between bouts of laughter, petting Sherlock's back, whose tail was wagging in excitement as he watched his parents' peculiar behavior. "Come on, Castle. I think it's save to get up off the floor now."

He grunted as he got up, the pout still present on his features. "I have to go wash my face now, excuse me." He threw a look at the puppy, who barked at him once. "Yeah, way to go, buddy," he mumbled and made his way to Kate's bathroom.

Beckett, in the meantime, tried to stifle her laughter behind her hand, but it was no use. Still trying to decide if she should be angry at the puppy for interrupting the perfect moment, or be grateful for doing so, she just kept on chuckling, remembering Castle's shell-shocked face after Sherlock had jumped onto the couch out of nowhere and took the opportunity presented to him, to show his devotion to his new master.

Taking a sip of her wine, she leaned back into the couch, watching as Sherlock took up position again against her thigh, pillowing his head upon it.

Waiting for her partner to return, she smirked to herself.

It surely proved to be a most interesting Sunday.

* * *

_A/N: Also, have you guys seen the new season 5 promo? Spontaneous party, anyone? The season is gonna be epic! :D_


	8. Chapter 7

A/N: I know I've said it before, but I will say it again – I am so sorry for leaving you guys hanging for so long. With season five fulfilling our every wish, my motivation to write fic just lacks sometimes. That doesn't mean that I don't love writing this story, or that I don't appreciate the reviews and favs I get for it, just that it takes me a bit to stop staring at the perfection that is Caskett being all happy and in love and turn my attention back to writing. Thanks for sticking with me through my absences!

Also, this is for my good friend **pealee**, who is awesome and in need of some cheering up! I hope this will work! :)

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Despite what Kate had first thought, nothing else had happened on their Sunday afternoon together, after all. Shortly after Castle had returned from the bathroom – and a thorough face scrub – Martha had called, asking for her son's help. Apparently, one of her set decorators had called in sick at the last minute, and Martha had been a man short setting up the stage.

So with a great suffering sigh, Castle had taken his leave, after making Kate promise to call him, should she need help with anything, and after a long and tearful goodbye to Sherlock. The face-licking incident obviously forgotten already.

Kate had taken the rest of her free afternoon as an opportunity to train Sherlock a little. She left the apartment for short periods of time, to see how the pup would react to being left alone at home. As expected, he took up position behind the closed front door and started whining.

After a few minutes, Kate would return, stay a while and then repeat the process, until he eventually fell silent. Waiting a few minutes longer, she would then return and act as if nothing special had happened. She would do this every hour or so, until Sherlock would just stay put on the couch and barely lift an ear at her departure.

Smiling when she found him in exactly the same place she had left him in, Kate decided it was time to give him a treat. He had learned that lesson far quicker than she had expected him to, after all.

Kate glanced at the clock on the wall above her computer and noticed that it was nearly dinner time (her grumbling stomach supported that assessment), so she rooted around in her fridge and freezer for a while before deciding to throw a pre-made lasagna into the oven. Setting the timer, she turned around to make her way to her bookshelf, planning to pass the time with a good book and a glass of wine, but Sherlock apparently had other ideas. Looking down, she saw the pup sitting in front of her, his plush alligator (which had proven to be his favorite) laying at his feet. The dog's big, round eyes were staring imploringly at her, willing her to play with him.

And who in their right mind could resist those eyes anyways?

Smiling slightly, she bend down and grasped the gator by its tail, before straightening again. Sherlock excitedly barked at her and wagged his tail. Kate waited a moment until his eyes had turned their attention from the toy in her hand and he was looking at her instead. Satisfied with his behavior, she threw the toy into the living room, where it landed beside the couch. Sherlock scrambled after it, diving behind the couch and resurfacing a moment later with his price securely trapped between his jaws.

Head held high, he proudly made his way back over her to her, and Kate had to stifle a laugh at the sight.

Having reached her again, he sat and dropped his toy back onto the ground, looking at her expectantly.

"Good boy, Sherlock!" She praised him, and scratched his head just the way he seemed to like it.

Grabbing the plushy again, she waited once more until she held the dog's attention, before throwing the toy away again. This time, Kate did laugh out loud when she saw Sherlock diving and sliding, nose first, beneath her coffee table, only to resurface on the other side, his alligator once more secured in his mouth. There, he dropped onto his belly and took the opportunity to give it a few chews, the accompanying squeak of the toy filling the otherwise still apartment. Leaving him to his own devices for a few minutes, Kate checked on her dinner, deciding that it needed a couple more minutes. Grabbing a bottle of red from her wine stock, and a glass from her cupboard, she made her way to her couch, glancing over at Sherlock to see how he was doing. Seeing that he was still happily playing with his gator, she rooted around for the corkscrew and a minute later sighed in pleasure as she took her first sip of the wine.

The beeping of the oven announced that her dinner was ready, so she got up and plated the lasagna, her mouth watering at the smell.  
A pitiful whine behind her told her that Sherlock wanted his dinner, too, and Kate scooped some fresh dog food from one of the cans Castle had placed into one of her cupboards. Setting it down for her companion, he barked happily once before sticking his head into his bowl. Leaving him to it, Kate grabbed her own plate and made her way back over to the couch, in order to enjoy her own dinner. Turning on the tv for some background noise, she soon lost herself in the heavenly taste.

The ringing of her cellphone on the table caused her to jump slightly, and she swallowed her last bite of pasta, taking a glance at the screen, she rolled her eyes good-naturedly when she saw the caller ID.

Answering the call, she didn't even get a word out before his voice floated into her ear. "You gotta come rescue me! Please, Beckett. Better bring Sherlock as a diversion."

"What's the problem, Castle. Got a splinter from all the hard work?"

"No." He dragged the word slightly, making her roll her eyes again. "Well, yes, but that's not the point. "My mother neglected to tell me that the play involved a lot of naked skin. And not from the pretty young actresses. Hell, even the actors would have been better than this. I never, ever wanted to see this much of my mother's skin. Ever. I am damaged for the rest of my life. I might need therapy."

Kate had a hard time holding in her laughter, but a snort slipped passed her lips anyways, before she could stop it.

"It's not funny, Kate!" he whined, making her shake with suppressed laughter.

"If the play already started," she managed "then why haven't you just left already?"

"Because apparently she also needs help taking the set down, which cannot possibly wait until tomorrow."

"Then what exactly do you think I can accomplish with dragging Sherlock away from his blanket to come rescue you?"

"We could have him race over the stage. Maybe his leash will get tangled around my mother's legs and drag her off the stage, therefore saving us all from the view of something we were never meant to witness in the first place. I'm sure many of the audience would be very grateful for your heroic behavior, Beckett!"

"Castle, your mother is a gorgeous woman, so just close your eyes and stop whining."

"But...she's my mother!"

"Hence the 'close your eyes' part. Now stop being a baby and go support your mom."

She could hear a long-suffering sigh floating over the line. "Fine," he muttered. "But you owe me."

Kate snorted. "Owe you for _what_?"

"For deserting your partner in his time of need."

"Oh, man up, partner."

"Easy for you to say."

"Well, no, actually. In case you hadn't noticed – I'm a woman."

"Oh, I definitely noticed." Even without seeing him, she knew that he was leering at her in his mind's eye.

She smirked. He was so predictable.

"In fact," he went on, the husky note in his voice not going unnoticed by her, "I notice it whenever you're in the same room with me and even if you're not. Especially when you're wearing those snug little shirts of yours. Oh, or a few weeks ago, when you were wearing that tiny little tank top with that green blouse over it, remember? It was just cruel of you to leave it unbuttoned, Beckett."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Castle," she said, laughter in her voice.

"But, Kate!" he switched back to the original topic of their conversation. "If I could at least have my buddy with me, I'm sure he wouldn't des-"

She hung up on him.

They were not having a discussion about parental rights after only two days.

Kate groaned. If she was having those thoughts years from now – about an actual human baby – it was still too soon.

A glance at the clock revealed that it was shortly after nine. Deciding to take a hot shower before snuggling into bed with a good book, she made sure that Sherlock was set for the night, and then wandered into her bathroom.

The warm water had made her relaxed and sleepy and in the middle of the second chapter, she felt her eyes begin to droop. With a yawn, she switched off the light and rolled over onto her side, pulling her blanket up under her chin. A minute later, warm and content, and with a smile on her face, she drifted off to sleep, filled with dreams of fluffy puppies and Castle dressed in a Sherlock Holmes costume.

* * *

Monday morning dawned bright and early and Kate, yawning and blinking the sleep from her eyes, targeted the coffee maker for her first caffeine fix. Sherlock came bounding towards her, excited to have company, and much too happy this early in the morning.  
With the coffee maker gurgling softly in the background and filling the apartment with a heavenly scent, Kate fixed breakfast for herself - consisting of a toast with nutella - and set out some food for her companion. Sherlock licked her hand in thanks and then proceeded to dive into his breakfast. Beckett followed his example and, with a freshly poured mug of coffee and her toast, she settled down with today's paper for a few minutes and before getting ready for work.

Deciding that a quick trip to the park across the street was in order, Kate slipped into her boots and a cream colored coat, before making her way to the front door.

Getting the leash off the coat rack, Kate called for Sherlock and waited for the excited puppy to calm down before fastening the leash to his collar.

Taking care to make sure that she was the first to step through the door and that the puppy was following behind her, she locked the door behind her and the two of them made their way towards the elevator. Sherlock sniffed around the contraption once it arrived and seemed to deem it acceptable to his liking. Settling down beside Kate, he leaned slightly against her leg and yawned widely.

"Oh, so now you're tired? Don't even think about falling asleep on me now. I'm not carrying you back to bed."

Sherlock just looked at her, his big eyes blinking up at her.

"Yeah, I know. Who am I kidding. I'd probably get Castle to carry you for me."

The two of them made their way towards the park, where the puppy got to enjoy himself for a while, leaping after fallen leaves and chasing pigeons. After another glance at her watch, Kate made sure he did his thing and she cleaned up after him, before making their way to her car. She had decided she would just take him into work today and get Castle to go out with him, not that it would take much convincing. She hadn't been called about a homicide yet, which meant that there was nothing to do but paperwork. Her partner would be all too happy about the excuse to flee the precinct for a while.

Getting Sherlock into the car and safely secured for the ride was easier than she had thought. Before she knew it, they were on the road, crawling through NYC morning rush hour. When she finally turned off the ignition in her usual parking spot, her head was pounding and she was in desperate need of another coffee. She honestly doubted that some drivers had ever properly acquired a license. Or a brain.

Getting the old blanket she kept in the trunk of her car, Sherlock's nose sniffing around beside her, his paws propped on the ledge and tail wagging against her leg.

"Come on, bud," she said, smiling, "let's get inside and face the music."

She was under no illusion that there wouldn't be a lot of teasing involved. The boys would have a field day with this.

With the car securely locked, the pair of them stepped into the lobby of the 12th precinct and Kate was pretty sure she saw the security officer on duty make a double take before choking on the sip of coffee he had just swallowed.

"Good morning, Hank. You okay over there?"

"Morning, detective," he managed, while staring at her and the dog through teary eyes, trying to get the coughing under control. "Fine," he breathed, before another cough overtook him.

Kate, reassured that he would live, stepped onto the elevator and pressed the button that indicated the fourth floor. Sherlock once again astounded her and sat beside her without her having to tell him to. Not for the first time she wondered if that kind of behavior would stick, or if they were dealing with a wolf in sheep's clothing.

When they stepped off the elevator, the hustle and bustle of the bullpen was still relatively calm. Kate spotted Ryan and Esposito at the former's desk, by the looks of it having a rousing game of table soccer with a crumpled ball of paper. Ryan was the first to spot her and kicked Esposito in the shins in his haste to quieten his partner in mid-whoop.

"Whoo- ouch! Ryan, what the hell, bro?"

Ryan was trying to sneakily point in her direction, all the while not doing a good job with the 'sneaky' part. Finally catching up, Esposito looked in her direction and then turned back to glare at his friend. "Seriously, next time just tell me what's going on. Whisper or hiss in my direction, if you have too, but please stop abusing my shins. Or any other body parts."

His Irish counterpart, meanwhile, was not listening to the Hispanic detective's tirade.

"Boss, is that a _dog_?" he exclaimed when she passed his desk and she hastily shushed him.

"No, Ryan, it's a bear. What do you think it is?" she commented, glancing around in search of their captain. Not seeing her anywhere, Kate breathed a sigh of relief and continued on to her desk, dropping the blanket beneath it and ordering Sherlock to sit on his new, improvised bed. She prayed that he would stay there, quietly, until Castle got here and she could get her partner to take their dog out for a very long walk, before Gates got wind of the fact that Kate had sneaked a dog into her precinct. The detective shuddered at the thought.

"Yo, Beckett! Why do you have a dog under your desk?" Esposito inquired when he propped against her desk, Ryan trailing behind.

"Shh!" she hissed at him, frantically looking around again. "Could you please keep your voice down? The captain doesn't need to know about this if I can avoid it."

"Fair enough," her friend agreed, nodding once, before dropping his voice to a deliberate whisper, "but you still haven't answered my question."

Kate glared at him, annoyed. "It's Castle's fault." She ignored the snorts coming from both of her colleagues. "He talked me into getting a dog." She didn't think it prudent to add the _with him_ out loud. They would find out soon enough. Namely, whenever her child of a partner showed up and started to brag.

"Something let's me think you didn't need much talking into."

She raised her eyebrow at that. "And what makes you think that, Javier?"

He gave her a look that clearly said _Do you really want me to answer that?_

She huffed and shooed them away with a wave of her hand. "Don't you have work to do?"

"No, boss."

"Then go find some."

"Yes, boss."

Watching the detectives slinking back to their desks, Beckett risked a look under the table – and couldn't stop her lips from curling into a smile. There the puppy was, contently curled into the blanket, fast asleep. He gave a little huff in his sleep and then burrowed his nose further between his paws.

Kate stared at the heart-melting view for a moment longer, and when she straightened in her chair, she came face to face with Captain Victoria Gates.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think? :)_


End file.
